1. Field of Endeavor
The present invention relates to a vane arrangement of a turbo machine, in particular of a gas turbine.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
A typical vane arrangement has at least one vane carrier attached to a housing of a turbo machine. Such a vane arrangement also includes several vanes attached to the vane carrier and arranged in circumferential direction side by side. Usually, each vane has a platform comprising at least two locking portions which are circumferentially displaced to each other. Each locking portion includes a tongue projecting in the circumferential direction from the platform and extending in axial direction. The vane carrier includes at least two carrier portions being circumferentially displaced to each other. Each carrier portion includes a groove which is open in the circumferential direction and extends in axial direction. The tongues of the locking portions and the grooves of the carrier portions are adapted to provide an axially pluggable and radially form locking attachment between the vane carrier and the respective vane.
A vane arrangement of this kind provides the possibility to mount and dismount single vanes without disassembling the whole vane carrier. Due to the high temperatures and forces, and due to impurity occurring during operation of the turbo machine, the pluggable attachment between the vane carrier and the vanes becomes rough-running or gets blocked. In order to remove the vanes, e.g., for maintenance purposes, high axial forces have to be induced into the respective vane. If disassembling of the whole vane carrier has to be avoided the necessary forces have to be applied to the vane airfoil. Pulling or pushing the vane at its airfoil increases the risk of damaging a thermal barrier coating of the airfoil or the risk of deforming the airfoil.